World Championship Cornhole Brings Economic Boost

People have traveled from far and near to play cornhole in Montgomery this week.
It’s a sport that attracts people from all over the globe.
Just ask the team that traveled all the way from Australia.

“A lot of people hadn’t even heard of cornholing before. So the first point was to show people how to play,” said Team Australia manager Hannah Joyce.

It’s competitors like this that are helping to boost Montgomery’s economy.

“This is a great example because this event will start at the beginning of the week and have its finals at the end. So you have about 400 competitors that are here all week long. And when they are not in here practicing or playing, they are out engaging in our economy. They are eating. They are going out to have drinks, shopping at our attractions, going out to our retail shops. So of course that has the follow up effect of the money that they spend and the jobs that they help create and retain,” said Meg Lewis with the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Chamber actively recruits these non traditional sports, and the Capital City is living up to the hype.

“This facility is incredible. The downtown area is wonderful. The hotels are great so I’m excited to get our players to discover some of the history and what Montgomery is all about,” said Frank Geers, president and founder of the American Cornhole Organization.

“It’s been really good. So far we have been eating a lot. We have definitely enjoyed some of the hospitality. The restaurants here have been very welcoming towards us,” said Joyce.

For more information on the tournament, click here.